About “Smoke on the Water”

One of the most recognizable guitar riffs in rock'n'roll history. “Smoke on the Water” tells the true story of a fire igniting during a 1971 Frank Zappa concert in Montreux, Switzerland, where the band had come to record their next album, Machine Head.

The song made it to number four, their first top ten since “Hush” in 1968. It was also their first single to receive certification, being granted a gold record by the RIAA.